the public

noun

: the people of a country, state, etc.
the American public
The beach is open to the public.
The general public is in favor of the law.
Members of the public called for the mayor's resignation.

Examples of the public in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Though a functioning part of the town of Gosnold, the island is privately owned with only certain areas accessible to the public, per The Globe. Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025 The data is backed by over a dozen datasets from the public and private sectors. Ignacio Calderon, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025 Editors then vet the nominations and set aside a list of nominees to ask the public to vote on for a period of four weeks. Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 22 Oct. 2025 Arizona’s open meeting law requires municipalities to make agendas available to the public at least 24 hours before a regular meeting is scheduled to begin. Shawn Raymundo, AZCentral.com, 22 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for the public

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“The public.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20public. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!